Irvine, CA Crime Map

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions About Irvine Crime

Is Irvine safe?

Irvine earns a city-wide Safety Rating of B (Safe), and the numbers behind that grade are compelling. Of the 42 neighborhoods analyzed, 61.9% hold a Grade A and another 19% hold a Grade B, meaning 81% of all neighborhoods fall into the safe tier. At the other end of the spectrum, only 4.8% of neighborhoods — just 2 out of 42 — received a D grade, and zero neighborhoods received an F. Standout safe communities include Northwood Point (Grade A+, median income $184,790), Eastwood Village (Grade A+, median income $163,212), and Northpark Square (Grade A+, median income $145,262). By nearly every statistical measure, Irvine ranks among the safest large cities in California.

What is the crime rate in Irvine, and how does it break down by neighborhood?

Irvine's overall crime grade is a C at the city level, but neighborhood-level data tells a more nuanced story. Among 42 neighborhoods studied, the breakdown is: Grade A — 26 neighborhoods (61.9%); Grade B — 8 neighborhoods (19%); Grade C — 6 neighborhoods (14.3%); Grade D — 2 neighborhoods (4.8%); Grade F — 0 neighborhoods (0%). The two neighborhoods with the highest relative crime burden are Cypress Village and University Town Center, both rated D+. Mid-tier concern areas include Rancho San Joaquin, Irvine Business Complex, and Orangetree, each graded C−. Importantly, property crime — rather than violent crime — drives most of the activity in those lower-rated zones, consistent with Irvine's broader profile as a low-violence city.

What are the safest neighborhoods in Irvine?

Eight neighborhoods earned the top Grade A+ rating in Irvine's 2026 analysis. Here is how they compare on key metrics:

• Northwood Point — Grade A+, median income $184,790 (highest in the city among top-rated neighborhoods)
• Eastwood Village — Grade A+, median income $163,212
• Northpark Square — Grade A+, median income $145,262, population 2,911
• Turtle Ridge — Grade A, median income $141,618, population 3,718
• Altair Irvine, Cadence Park, Orange County Great Park, Parasol Park, Travata, Beacon Park — all Grade A+, with median incomes clustering around $138,000–$140,000

The pattern is clear: neighborhoods with median household incomes above $138,000 account for virtually all of Irvine's A+ designations. Families and professionals prioritizing safety will find the strongest options in the northern and newer planned sections of the city.

Which neighborhoods in Irvine have higher crime?

Only 4.8% of Irvine's analyzed neighborhoods — 2 out of 42 — fall into the higher-crime D tier, and none reach an F. Those two are Cypress Village (Grade D+) and University Town Center (Grade D+). An additional 14.3% of neighborhoods, or 6 out of 42, carry a Grade C, including Rancho San Joaquin (C−), Irvine Business Complex (C−), and Orangetree (C−). University Town Center's proximity to a large university campus likely contributes to elevated incident reporting, a trend common to college-adjacent areas nationwide. Even in these lower-graded zones, Irvine's overall crime environment remains significantly below national urban averages.

Is Irvine a good place to live in 2026?

The data strongly supports Irvine as one of Southern California's most livable cities. Consider the key figures: median household income of $108,318 — well above the national median; median home value of $861,570, reflecting sustained housing demand; median rent of $2,425; and an unemployment rate of 5.3%. On the safety side, 81% of neighborhoods are rated A or B, and zero neighborhoods received an F grade out of 42 analyzed. The poverty rate of 12.6% is the one socioeconomic indicator worth monitoring, as it is slightly elevated relative to Irvine's high income profile — but it has not translated into widespread crime across the city's neighborhoods. For families, remote workers, and professionals, neighborhoods like Northwood Point, Eastwood Village, and Northpark Square offer a combination of top safety grades and strong income demographics that are difficult to match elsewhere in Orange County.

How does Irvine's neighborhood safety compare — what percentage is truly safe?

Across all 42 neighborhoods analyzed, 81% earn a combined A or B safety grade — meaning roughly 4 out of every 5 Irvine neighborhoods qualify as genuinely safe by our methodology. Drilling deeper: 61.9% are Grade A (the highest tier), 19% are Grade B, 14.3% are Grade C (moderate), and only 4.8% are Grade D. The 0% F-grade rate is particularly notable for a city of 272,694 residents at a population density of 1,604 people per square mile. For context, many comparably sized U.S. cities see 10–20% of neighborhoods in the D or F range. Irvine's master-planned design, strong tax base, and well-funded local services appear to contribute meaningfully to this distribution.